Yesterday, V-Day, the Public Protection Committee of the Alameda County Board of Supervisors held a public hearing in Oakland, CA on a request from the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office to purchase a surveillance Drone, which would make my County the first in California to acquire it’s own local Drone. Of course Sheriff Ahern insisted that the Board of Supervisors refer to it as a “small Unmanned Aerial System” and not a “Drone.” He also objected to the term “surveillance” preferring ”observation.” As if there’s a difference. The audience consistently rejecting his attempt to manipulate the language, but the Supervisors tried to adhere to this request, resulting in much verbal fumbling.

Montgomery County Sheriff's Office was recently bragging about the $300,000 drone that they bought with help from the Department of Homeland Security. They tried to do a fancy photo op featuring the drone and their Bearcat, and crashed one into the other. It's a paramilitary police state on parade.

I don't know how well you guys can hear the audience from where you're sitting, but if you listen they don't scoff when you talk about the technical specifications of the Drone, or what it will be use for, or won't. They scoff when you talk about accountability. And they scoff when you talk about transparency. And they scoff when you talk about self reporting. So what you have is a problem where the people in this room don't trust their government.

With the announcement that a Remotely Piloted Aircraft (drone) command center will open at the Horsham Air Guard Base (located in Montgomery county, Pennsylvania) in October local activists from all parts of the political spectrum came together and swung into action. On April 27, 2013 about one hundred protesters marched to the base's main gate and held a rally they called Drone Free Horsham.

By that time, Sheriff Janke, with the help of the Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Air Force, had already run the table where “non-lethal” means of compelling the family to surrender were concerned. This included everything from the Taser used during Brossart’s June 23 arrest to the precedent-setting use of a Predator-B drone to conduct surveillance of the home several days later to facilitate the arrest of the farmer’s three sons.

In the span of just three years, we have seen drone surveillance become openly operational on American soil.

In 2007, Texas reporters first filmed a predator drone test being conducted by the local police department in tandem with Homeland Security. And in 2009, it was revealed that an operation was underway to use predator drones inland over major cities, far from “border control” functions. This year it has been announced that not only will drone operations fly over the Mexican border, but the United States and Canada are partnering to cover 900 miles of the northern border as well.

Apparently facing mounting financial woes, Hancock County Sheriff Calvin K. "Bud" Gray siphoned more than $3,000 in public funds into his own accounts, according to authorities who arrested the sheriff Friday at a Shelby County casino.

Gray was being held without bail Friday night at the Hamilton County Jail in Noblesville on a felony charge of obstruction of justice, Hancock County Prosecutor Dean Dobbins said. Other charges, including theft and official misconduct, are likely, Dobbins added.

1) Drone strikes against US citizens branded “terrorists” are ok.
2) Collateral Damage of US citizens during Drone strikes is ok.
3) The definition of “combatant” has drifted to include inciteful speech.
4) The definition of “terrorist” has drifted to include crimes of dissent.
5) Drones are being programed to detect dissent.
6) Domestic police will soon be using unmanned aerial vehicles.
7) Military technology trickles down to local law enforcement.